HomeDreamtime Stories & PaintingsYear Eight Art explored some of the Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories this year in their Visual Art Classes. We started by reading a series of Dreamtime Stories. Afterwards, we discussed the meaning of each of the stories, the array of special messages it holds, along with the moral of each of the stories. Subsequently Year Eight Visual Art students worked in groups to plan and recreate their Dreamtime Story as a painting.The Baiame - The Creator Spirit
The Baiame Cave at Milbrodale, near Singleton
When the world was young, in the Dreamtime, Baiame the Creator Spirit came to Earth and decided that he would fix up the place, because it looked rather dull and empty. He first made land, in which he placed deserts, plains and mountain ranges. He then added plants of all kinds and colours: little ones that could survive in the desert, huge trees that lived in the rainforests, sturdy ones that lives in the snow or along the sea-shore. He then made the rivers and streams, waterholes and billabongs. In some places, the water flowed very fast and in others it trickled slowly over pebbles or sand. Then Baiame added a final touch - a breeze that would caress the beautiful plants he had made. When he had finished all this Baiame decided to stay for a little while and enjoy what he had made. He went to live to in the Blue Mountains, where Earth Mother lived already. Unfortunately, Baiame had an enemy. Hie enemy's name was Marmoo, the Evil One. Marmoo was always complaining to his wife about how smart Baiame thought himself to be. You see, Marmoo was very jealous of Baiame and everything he had made. Marmoo wanted to destroy all of Baiame's creations. "Oh Marmoo, stop complaining!" said his wife one day. "Why don't you make your own Earth, if you don't like what Baiame has made?" "I'll do better than that!" Marmoo declared. "I'll destroy everything Baiame has made!" With that, Marmoo went deep into a cave, and there he fashioned thousands and thousands of little creatures, which he told to go out and eat everything Baiame had made. Marmoo's little creatures could crawl and wiggle and fly and eat and munch and bite, and they left the cave like a plague. Baiame was horrified when he saw what Marmoo's little army of creatures were doing and he called to Earth Mother for help. "What can you do to help me?" asked Baiame. Without a word, Earth Mother used her magic and made the first bird - a Lyrebird - and told her to eat Marmoo's little creatures. The Lyrebird went straight over to where the little creatures. The Lyrebird went straight over to where the little creatures were munching away, and started to eat them one at a time. But there were far too many for just one bird to eat. Seeing this, all the Good Spirits gathered around Baiame and Earth Mother and started to make their own birds. Soon there were enough birds to eat most of the little creatures Marmoo had made to destroy the Earth. That is how the birds and insects were made. Marmoo escaped, but he is still trying to work out a way to destroy Baiame's beautiful Earth. Sometimes his plan works, and in some parts fo the land there is a plague of insects. But mostly Baiame is in control. And the birds? Well, they are still patiently waiting for a feast like the one they had at the beginning of time.
Once you have read the story, you can use this document to complete a reading comprehension task. When you finish this task, please e-mail your answers to your Australian Partner Student, who will correct this for you!
When the world was young, in the Dreamtime, Baiame the Creator Spirit came to Earth and decided that he would fix up the place, because it looked rather dull and empty.
He first made land, in which he placed deserts, plains and mountain ranges. He then added plants of all kinds and colours: little ones that could survive in the desert, huge trees that lived in the rainforests, sturdy ones that lives in the snow or along the sea-shore. He then made the rivers and streams, waterholes and billabongs. In some places, the water flowed very fast and in others it trickled slowly over pebbles or sand. Then Baiame added a final touch - a breeze that would caress the beautiful plants he had made.
When he had finished all this Baiame decided to stay for a little while and enjoy what he had made. He went to live to in the Blue Mountains, where Earth Mother lived already.
Unfortunately, Baiame had an enemy. Hie enemy's name was Marmoo, the Evil One. Marmoo was always complaining to his wife about how smart Baiame thought himself to be. You see, Marmoo was very jealous of Baiame and everything he had made. Marmoo wanted to destroy all of Baiame's creations. "Oh Marmoo, stop complaining!" said his wife one day. "Why don't you make your own Earth, if you don't like what Baiame has made?" "I'll do better than that!" Marmoo declared. "I'll destroy everything Baiame has made!"
With that, Marmoo went deep into a cave, and there he fashioned thousands and thousands of little creatures, which he told to go out and eat everything Baiame had made. Marmoo's little creatures could crawl and wiggle and fly and eat and munch and bite, and they left the cave like a plague.
Baiame was horrified when he saw what Marmoo's little army of creatures were doing and he called to Earth Mother for help.
"What can you do to help me?" asked Baiame.
Without a word, Earth Mother used her magic and made the first bird - a Lyrebird - and told her to eat Marmoo's little creatures. The Lyrebird went straight over to where the little creatures. The Lyrebird went straight over to where the little creatures were munching away, and started to eat them one at a time. But there were far too many for just one bird to eat.
Seeing this, all the Good Spirits gathered around Baiame and Earth Mother and started to make their own birds. Soon there were enough birds to eat most of the little creatures Marmoo had made to destroy the Earth.
That is how the birds and insects were made.
Marmoo escaped, but he is still trying to work out a way to destroy Baiame's beautiful Earth. Sometimes his plan works, and in some parts fo the land there is a plague of insects. But mostly Baiame is in control. And the birds? Well, they are still patiently waiting for a feast like the one they had at the beginning of time.
Once you have read the story, you can use this document to complete a reading comprehension task. When you finish this task, please e-mail your answers to your Australian Partner Student, who will correct this for you!
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The First Koala
Lyrebird The Mimic
The Whale's Awakening
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The First Barramundi
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